Can You Survive In An Online World?
By Jim Edwards
Do you have the skills to make it in a computer driven,
increasingly online world?
Your immediate, knee-jerk reaction may be "Yes! Of course I
have the skills."
"I know how to send and receive email and surf the web."
"I can even download and install files."
Well, three or four years ago, email, Web surfing and
downloading files qualified you as "electronically
literate," but not any more! Computer and online survival
skills now encompass much more than that.
Surviving in an online world involves maintaining a high
degree of "electronic literacy," which means focusing on
and developing skills in the following areas:
** Personal Computer skills **
In the old days of 1998, the ability to use a computer,
keyboard and mouse rated anyone as computer-literate.
In fact, you were a real pro if you could burn a CD, scan
documents and manipulate digital pictures.
Fast forward to today and "personal computer skills"
carries a whole new meaning. You must know how to maintain
and update not only anti-virus, but "anti-spyware," and
firewall software too.
You also need to understand how operating with Windows ME,
or 2000, or XP will affect your ability to use certain
software along with specific security precautions to avoid
trouble from hackers.
** Internet Skills **
In the bygone era of 1998, friends considered you an online
genius if you possessed basic surfing and navigation
skills.
They watched in awe as you used search engines like
InfoSeek.com (a long-defunct search engine) to find and
download programs, pictures, and information on specific
topics.
Now electronic literacy means the ability to set up,
upload, and maintain basic web pages and blogs.
It also means understanding terms such as "RSS" and "news
aggregator" because that's the next generation of how
information will get disseminated online (and it arrives
for the masses this year).
** Email Skills **
Perhaps the most deceptively simple of all the areas of
electronic literacy, email actually presents the most
challenges for keeping up with the times.
Previously, clicking the "send and receive" button meant
you were proficient at using email.
Now, because of spam, viruses and "phishing scams"
(identity theft schemes delivered through email), email
requires a whole new set of skills, "street smarts" and
software just to survive.
You must understand how to use an email "preview" program
such as MailWasher.net to eliminate spam and virus email
messages before they ever reach your computer.
You also must learn to protect your identity and avoid
"phishing scams" by learning to recognize and defend
against online con-artist tactics.
** Buy or Borrow Expertise **
Though you should constantly upgrade your skills through
personal education, nobody can do or know it all (except
maybe your know-it-all bother in law).
The good news is that you can always buy or borrow someone
else's expertise to solve any online challenge.
A prime example of outsourcing in the consumer market is
all the little stores popping up in strip malls to help you
sell your stuff on eBay.
Through outsourcing, online survival skills can also mean
taking what was previously the exclusive realm of computer
geeks and making it as easy as dropping off the dry
cleaning.
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About the AuthorJim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the
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